Automatic marker changer



Feb. 20, 1962 v. J. QUIBELL 3,021,905

AUTOMATIC MARKER CHANGER Filed March 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 3

Vear/ J. Ouibe/l INVENTOR.

@ BY M -mw Feb. 20, 1962 v. J. QUIBELL 3,021,905

AUTOMATIC MARKER CHANGER Filed March 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Vear/ J. Ouibe/l INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,021,985 AUTQMATHZ MARKER CHANGER Veal-2 .l. Qnibell, Kennedy, Minn. Filed Mar. 24, 1953, Ser. No. 723,353 3 (Iiaims. (Cl. 172-127) The present invention relates to an attachment for farm tractors which automatically controls the position of markers employed on certain farm implements for making a mark in laterally spaced relation to the path of movement of the implement for guiding the implement during subsequent movement.

Various types of cultivators, planters and the like are provided with markers mounted for pivotal swinging movement and extending laterally outwardly of the implement for purposes of engaging the ground surface and making an impression or mark in laterally spaced and parallel relation to the path of movement of the implement whereby the mark made can be used as a guide mark during subsequent movement of the implement. The present invention incorporates an attachment for a tractor which is towing a marker equipped implement for automatically raising one marker and lowering an opposite marker when the tractor turns in relation to the imple ment so that the proper marker will be automatically lowered when the tractor is turned at the end of a field.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a marker changer in the form of a rearwardly extending arm attached to a tractor and control lines connected to the rearwardly extending arm and the markers for automatically raising and lowering the markers in response to the direction of pivotal movement of the tractor in relation to the implement.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a marker changer which is extremely simple in construction, easy to use, adapted for use with various types of tractors and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic plan view with parts broken away showing the attachment of the present invention mounted on a tractor and illustrating the manner of control for the markers mounted on a towed implement;

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the arrangement of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation from the side of the construction of FIGURE 1 with the parts thereof broken away and omitted for illustrating the construction of the guide mechanism for the control lines; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded group perspective view of the attachment of the present invention which is mounted on the rear of a tractor.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates an automatic marker changer of the present invention which is adapted to be attached to the differential housing 14 of a conventional farm tractor having the usual rear driving wheels 16, control steering wheel 18 and seat 20.

The changer 10 includes an elongated tubular member which may be conveniently of a pipe designated by numeral 22 having one open end. The other end of the elongated pipe or tubular member 22 is provided with a transverse plate 24 disposed in perpendicular relation thereto and secured thereto as by welding 26. The plate 24 is braced by converging brace members 28 extending between the outer ends of the plate 24 and the tubular member 22. The upper edge of the plate 24 is provided with a pair of laterally projecting lugs 30 having apertures 32 therein for receiving fastening bolts 34 for rigidly mounting the elongated tubular member 22 on the differential housing 14.

Telescopically slidable within the tubular member 22 is an elongated member 36 having a series of longitudinally spaced apertures 38 therein for selective alignment with a transverse aperture 40 disposed in the free end of the tubular member 22. A removable pin 42 is provided for insertion through aligned apertures 40 and 38 thus providing means for telescopically adjusting the effective length of the marker changer 10.

The outer end of the elongated member 36 is provided with a circular or annular rod in the form of a ring designated by numeral 44 which may be in effect two semi-circular members secured to the elongated member 35 as by welding or by any suitable means.

A towed implement is generally designated by numeral 46 and includes a transverse supporting plate or mounting assembly 48 having a longitudinally extending plate 50 on each end thereof which plate 50 has depending flanges 52 which pivotally receive the offset ends 54 of converging support rod assembly 56 having a marker disk 58 journaled on the outer end thereof. The support rod assembly 56 may be swung in a vertical plane about an axis defined by the apertures in the depending flanges 52 on the plates 50.

Secured to the upper surface of the plate 50 as by welding is a generally Z-shaped supporting rod 60 having a pair of U-shaped rods 62 welded to the upper end thereof. Also, each of the inclined support members 56 is provided with an eye member 64 thereon for receiving an elongated control cable 66 which has its ends terminally secured to the ring-like member 44. The control cable 66 extends through two of the U-shaped loops 62 and through the eye 64 and has the ends thereof terminally secured to the ring member 44 on the end of the elongated member 36. The mounting assembly 48 is also provided with a tongue 68 pivotally attached to a drawbar or similar item 70 on the tractor. As the implement moves across the field with one of the markers down in position and the tractor approaches the edge of the field, it becomes necessary to turn the tractor in one direction or the other. When the tractor is turned, is pivots generally about the rear wheels 16 thus causing the tractor to pivot generally about a vertical axis which will automatically raise one of the marker disks 58 and lower the other one when the tractor pivots generally about the connection between the tongue 68 and the drawbar or lug 70.

In explaining the operation of the device, it is pointed out that the lift line 66 is anchored to the eye members 64 with a part of the line 66 interconnecting the eye members 64 for retaining a fixed distance therebetween wherein pivotal movement of the marker 58 on one end of the implement will cause corresponding movement of the marker at the other end in the opposite direction. Thus, when the tractor turns in the condition shown in FIGURE 1, one of the markers shown to the left of the implement will be raised and the other marker will be lowered with there being slack in one section of the line 66 extending from the marker 64 on the right to the ring 44. Generally, the implement is used by starting at one side of a field with the marker set to the inside and the implement is then and extending between that marker and the ring 44. Thus, with the present invention, the markers are automatically raised and lowered in response to turning movement of the tractor in relation to the implement.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only'of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tractor drawn marking implement combination comprising, tractor vehicle means, marker mounting means pivotally connected to said tractor vehicle means about a vertical axis and extending rearwardly therefrom, a pair of marker means pivotally mounted on the mounting means and extending laterally therefrom for angular positioning in a common plane perpendicular to the direction of travel of the implement, flexible means interconnecting said marker means at points in spaced relation to the mounting means and limiting angular positioning of the marker means with respect to each other, said flexible means including connecting portions, and changer means rigidly mounted on the tractor vehicle means and extending rearwardly from the vertical axis in operative connection to said connecting portions of the flexible means to effect angular displacement of one of the marker means in response to turning of the tractor vehicle means relative to the mounting means in one direction about the vertical axis.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said changer means comprises, a bracket member rigidly attached to a rear portion of the tractor vehicle means, an adjustable elongated member attached to the bracket member extending rearwardly therefrom, a mounting ring fixed to a rear terminal end of the elongated member and connected to said connecting portions.

3. In combination, an implement, an earth marker mounted at each side of said implement, marker pivot means swingably mounting each marker to said implement for substantial vertical swinging movement into and out of extended marking position, a tow tractor having a rear pivot connecting said tractor to said implement whereby the tractor is adapted to turn relative to said implement, and an automatic marker changer comprising an elongated member fixedly attached to said tractor and extending rearwardly of said rear pivot for swinging about said rear pivot relative to said implement in response to turning of said tractor, a flexible member fixed intermediate its end portions to each of said markers at a point remote from said marker pivot means for limiting the relative outward movement of said markers 1 whereby swinging of one marker into marking position will swing the other marker out of marking position, each of said end portions of said flexible member being connected to said elongated member remote from said rear pivot.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France June 1, 1922 

